details - National Museum Volunteers

Confirmed Lecturers and Their Talks
Alphabetical List
Farang, Outside People, Whiteskins:
Westerners in Thai Eyes Over 500 Years
Chris Baker was born in the UK, has a PhD from Cambridge University, and taught Asian history and
politics at Cambridge in a previous life. In 1979, he moved to Thailand, and worked in business for
almost 20 years. Now he writes, edits, and translates. With Pasuk Phongpaichit, he has written A
History of Thailand, Thailand’s Boom and Bust, and Thaksin. They have just completed a translation
of Thailand’s great folk epic, The Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen.
Synopsis: This talk looks at Thai perceptions of Westerners from pre-colonial times to the
globalization era. Is a "whiteskin" ghastly or aspirational? And what is a "Black Farang"?
Duration: 20 minutes
The Portuguese-Siamese Treaty of 1820:
The renewal of an alliance of 300 years at the beginning of the contemporary era
Miguel Castelo-Branco is researcher and author of Os Portugueses no Oriente: Sião, China, Japão
(1840-1940); and The Portuguese-Siamese Treaty of 1820: Siam's first attempt of integration into the
international community; author of Relations between Portugal and Siam in the Rattanakosin period
(1782-1939), to be published in 2011
Synopsis: It seems the diplomatic history of Siam in early Bangkok period has been written from
front to back. The so called Bowring Treaty was not, after all, so decisive as it was thought, since in
1820 Portugal and Siam negotiated a treaty under conditions that allowed Siam to break with the
Sino-centric system. The Bowring Treaty was imposed by threat and resulted in an unequal treaty.
The treaty with the Portuguese was concluded on the basis of absolute parity.
Duration: 20 minutes (pre-recorded)
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European Education of the Thai Elite
M.R. Chakrarot Chitrabongs is the grandson of Prince Naris and Prince Damrong, half-brothers of
King Chulalongkorn. Sent to the UK when thirteen, he returned at thirty, after undergoing English
public school and university education, and professional architectural training. He is one in the last
generations of Thai elite who had the opportunity to be educated comprehensively in Europe. On his
return, he joined the Government Service as teacher of European Art History, before being
transferred to a variety of duties in officialdom. The zenith of his career was his Royal Appointment as
Secretary General of the National Culture Commission and Secretary General of the Ministry of
Culture. After retirement, he has devoted himself to teaching in higher education.
Synopsis: The educational system for the Thai elite – the children of the royalty and the nobility –
underwent drastic transformation during the middle Ratanakosin Period during the reigns of Kings
Rama IV (r.1809-1868) and Rama V (r.1868-1910). Prior to this period, the traditional education had
consisted of tutorship using the Buddhist religious texts for lessons in literacy and knowledge. The
reform was led by King Rama IV, while ordained as a Buddhist monk and before his accession to the
throne, who educated himself with European academy achieving proficiency in English, Latin and
Astronomy. Subsequently, as sovereign king, he arranged for his own children to be educated under
the guidance of European nationals hired for the purpose of educating members of the Royal Court.
When King Chulalongkorn came to the throne as a juvenile king, he proceeded to educate himself by
visiting the neighbouring states that were under European rule to see for himself the advances in
modernisation that European education and culture could bring to Southeast Asia. He then decided to
send all of his male offsprings to the European states to be educated. The royalty were soon followed
by the children of the nobility and a new tradition for a European education for the elites of the Thai
society was born.
This paper presents an account of the state of the elitist education prior to the onset of European
education, the early stages of European education of the royalty and subsequent opportunities for the
upper-classes and scholarship winners. There will be also some information on the successes of the
European educated individuals in their subsequent livelihood in the home country.
Duration: 20 minutes
The Politics of Dressing Up
M.L. Chittawadi Chitrabongs was trained as a Thai architect. Her realized work is a set of
lavatories in Chulalongkorn University. On a scholarship from the Thai Government she received her
MA and PhD in History and Theory of Architecture from the Architectural Association School of
Architecture in the UK. Her entry in the first ‘Thai Fashion Competition’ held by the Thai Embassy in
London won second prize. She presented her paper on Crematoria at the 7 th International Conference
on Death, Dying and Disposal at the University of Bath in 2005 and published her essay on The
Politics of Dressing Up in 2010. She has been teaching on the Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn
University, since 2010.
Synopsis: This presentation is based on research for her PhD thesis which documented a process of
hygiene reforms carried out by King Rama V of Siam (who reigned from 1868 until 1910) and her
Thai ancestors. The work depended on access to the King’s manuscripts from the royal archives
which made it possible for the thesis to construct the following arguments. King Rama V was aiming
to increase the royal authority in Bangkok by imposing his ideas of order and neatness. The fact that
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these were anti-traditional was precisely why his reforms provoked much opposition. It was not just
that King Rama V wished for the Siamese to be clean and tidy, he wanted to be able to mould his
household and, by extension, the inhabitants of Bangkok. King Rama V had wished to break the
Siamese habits, especially where they manifested themselves as eyesores. In order to do this, he was
willing to import and to use contemporary objects and practices (such as Englishmen’s hats and
western tailoring). But one should not read King Rama V’s reforms as ‘westernization’. Within this
lecture she will suggest the idea that the bowler hat represented a highly developed fantasy
connected to the return of King Rama V as a fatherly ghost.
Duration: 15 minutes
The Russian Connection with Siam:
From Tsar Nicholas II to Vladimir Putin
Ines Ehrlich is a freelance feature writer who has written on Thailand’s art, history and architecture.
Synopsis: A quick review of the unique ties formed between the Tsar of Russia and King
Chulalongkorn that proved instrumental in staving off colonization of Siam and preserving its
sovereignty. In 1897 King Chulalongkorn viewed the situation of territorial losses so potentially
serious that he embarked on a grand European tour hoping to establish "balancing" friendships with
as many European nations as possible. Much of the success achieved during the King’s nine month
journey can be attributed to his friendship with Tsar Nicholas II, a relationship forged during the
Tsarevich's state visit to Siam in 1891, before becoming the Tsar of Russia. The Tsar’s genuine
friendship with the King influenced his European counterparts to accept the Siamese King as a royal
equal. The King’s visit to Russia marked the beginning of diplomatic relations between The Romanov
Dynasty and Siam, which later developed to the point that France and other world powers
relinquished their attempts at Siam’s sovereignty.
Duration: 10 minutes
Constantine Phaulkon – Falcon , Facts and Fiction
Alain Forest , Professeur, Université Paris-Diderot/Paris 7, is author of “Falcon, L’Imposteur de
Siam” and “Cambodge: Histoire et Religion” to be published in 2011.
Synopsis: The life of Phaulkon cannot be covered in ten minutes. But, Prof. Forest will give a brief
overview about reality and legends of this fascinating man that could be taken a role model for a
successful career in Siam and a globalized world.
Duration: 10 minutes (pre-recorded)
The French in Siam
Claire Keefe-Fox was born in Italy, grew up in the United States, France and Italy, and attended
university in England, Italy, Switzerland and France. Working as an interpreter since 1975, she was
official interpreter to the French Government until 2009. Her first book, Le Ministre des Moussons,
about Phaulkon, occasioned her participation in "Bouillon de Culture", the most prestigious cultural
program on French television. She has since written other books that have won recognition, some of
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which have been translated into Thai and sold well ; and she is currently writing The Tears of Siam.
She is at present Director of Alliance Française for Thailand.
Synopsis: In the 17 th century, according to archival sources, the first French to venture to Siam
were Jesuits and, shortly after, members of the “Missions Etrangères de Paris”, who established
themselves in Ayudhya and recounted the trials and tribulations of dealing with a new, unsettling
culture and a well established religion.
In this age of exploration and first attempts at creating global trade networks, merchants and
diplomats followed, the latter with far from unqualified success as is well known from the thoroughly
documented embassy sent by King Louis XIV to the court of King Narai in 1685.
After the hasty withdrawal of the French mission and troops following the “Revolution of Siam” of
1688, the missionaries were left behind to fend for themselves, until the end of the 19 th century,
when Siam became a pawn in the great power play of colonial empire building and the quest for raw
materials, the French largely ignored the scene of their first attempt—and failure—to establish a
foothold in Asia.
Faced with the “Parti Colonial” becoming ever more powerful in France, and greedy for more Asian
colonies to bolster the Indochinese possessions in the East, along with the encroaching British
Empire on its western and southern borders, Siam was forced into a difficult balancing act between
dangerous neighbors, the need to modernize, and threats to its independence.
But shared danger creates unity, and although the kingdom did not emerge unscathed, it was
nonetheless able to weather the storm and face the challenges of the 20 th century with defined and
recognized borders, and more importantly still, a sense of nationhood.
Duration: 20 minutes
German traces of one of the oldest corporate citizens in Thailand:
B.Grimm’s more than 130 years of doing business with compassion
Harald Link joined B.Grimm in 1978 after receiving an MBA at the University of St. Gallen,
Switzerland. In 1987 he was appointed Chief Executive and is currently serving as Chairman of the B.
Grimm Group.
Synopsis: A German by descent, Harald Link finds himself curiously reflecting a Thai sensibility
filtered through his German upbringing: “I feel Thai but at the same time have strong German roots.”
In his talk, Harald Link explores the unique standpoint of the B.Grimm Group in Thai history.
Established in 1878 as one of the first German firms to be incorporated in Thailand, B.Grimm stands
as a diversified business corporation with roots irrevocably entwined with Thailand and its people.
B.Grimm is very German yet very Thai, something reflected in the company’s very purpose: doing
business with compassion for the development of civilization. Expect a fascinating journey from the
first Western medicine for the Kingdom to pioneering into private power plants and teaching children
about science.
Duration: 20 minutes
The first Europeans in Siam – the Portuguese
Giacomo (Jack) Mauri, President of the Dante Alighieri Association of Bangkok was a former
business executive with Exxon Corporation with postings in the United States, Japan and Thailand.
After retirement, he returned to Bangkok and taught marketing at Thammasart University. He has
reverted back to an old passion for history and culture. Over the past seven years, he has conducted
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esearch on 16 th century Siamese history in a programme at Chulalongkorn University, relying largely
on a collection of Portuguese documents at Cornell University.
Synopsis: The Portuguese laid siege to Malacca in 1511 under the command of Admiral Afonso
D’Albaquerque and immediately sent an envoy to Ayutthaya to establish relations with Siam – the first
time in history that a European had been received in Siam (Ayutthaya).
In their quest to establish a direct route by sea from the spice producing areas of Southeast Asia and
thereby to bypass complex land and sea routes controlled by Middle Eastern and Venetian merchants,
the Portuguese had managed to navigate around the Southern tip of Africa and get to India just a
few
The spice trade was an extremely lucrative trade that strongly appealed to small, impoverished
Portugal. What did the Portuguese seek in their mission to Ayutthaya? Significantly, Duarte
Fernandez, the first Portuguese envoy, travelled to Ayutthaya aboard a Chinese merchant vessel, not
a Portuguese warship. The Siamese responded favorably, seeking in turn better firearms from the
Portuguese. Various types of Portuguese were involved in 16 th century Siam: conquerors, traders,
mercenaries and missionaries. Jack’s presentation will briefly describe their types and their
successes, or lack thereof.
But were the Portuguese really the first Europeans to reach Siam? Meet two Italians: Nicolo’ De’
Conti and Ludovico De Varthema.
Duration: 20 minutes
Italians at the Court of Siam
Prof. Paolo Piazzardi, is former Cultural Attaché at the Italian Embassy in Bangkok and co-author
of Italians at the Court of Siam
Synopsis: Between the end of the 19th century and the early 20th an outstanding community of
Italian architects, engineers, artists and artisans gave their skills to make Bangkok the modern capital
of the kingdom.
The protagonists of this fascinating story are portrayed in this Symposium, with a stress on their
private lives, as in the book ‘Italians at the Court of Siam’, a human document rather than a treatise
on their artistic styles.
Duration: 20 minutes (pre-recorded)
Living the Dangerous Dutch Life in Ayutthaya
Bhawan Ruangslip obtained her doctoral degree in history at Leiden University and is currently a
lecturer at the History Department, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University. She is the author of
Dutch East India Company Merchants at the Court of Ayutthaya: Dutch Perceptions of the Thai
Kingdom, c. 1604-1765 (Leiden: Brill, 2007).
Synopsis: The Dutch East India Company (VOC) arrived in Ayutthaya in 1604. Originally considering
the Siamese capital and port city as a stepping stone for reaching China, the Dutch merchants found
potential benefits in Siamese goods, and decided to open a trading post.
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During their 160 years in Ayutthaya, they were traders, diplomats, courtiers, as well as employers,
parents and community members who needed to understand not only the local pattern of commerce
but also the Kingdom’s political situation, socio-cultural conditions and interpersonal relationships.
Duration: 20 minutes
Are the longstanding Thai-Portuguese relations connected with the popular Thai dessert
Foi Thong?
Bulong Srikanog, of the Division of Literature and History of the Fine Arts Department is a
documentary scriptwriter and lecturer on Thai History and Thai Studies at Silpakorn University and
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, and is currently involved in The Research Project of Thai-
Portuguese Relations.
Synopsis: When Portugal is mentioned among Thais, the image that a surprising number of them
come up with is foi thong, or “golden threads”, a Thai dessert made of egg yolks and sugar, having
its roots in Portugal. This reflects the long existence of this dessert in Thai life and culture, since foi
thong is usually found in major traditional events and ceremonies all year round. In a wedding
ceremony, for instance, it is served as a symbol of lasting love and happiness. Using evidence from
old documents, historical records, and significant sites spanning from Lisbon to Ayutthaya, this lecture
will examine many aspects of Thai-Portuguese relationships.
Duration: 20 minutes
Chao Phya Abhai Raja Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns,
General Adviser of H.M. King Chulalongkorn
Count Gerald van der Straten Ponthoz hails from a Belgian aristocratic family whose members
include many important figures. The ancestry of Phya Abhai Raja Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyn can be
traced back to his grandmother’s family tree. He is the founder and Chairman of the Chao Phya Abhai
Raja Siammanukulkij Foundation.
Synopsis: Meet Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns, who devoted nearly a decade of his life to the service
of King Chulalongkorn. He loyally served the visionary king as General Adviser between 1892 and
1901. His main responsibilities were to reform the judicial system and develop the administration of
Siam. He worked with the utmost honesty for the progress of Siam and was very trusted by His
Majesty who invested him with the title of Chao Phya Abhai Raja Siammanukulkij, which was the
highest title that a foreigner had ever received.
Duration: 10 minutes
Putting the Golden Land on the Map
Thavatchai Tangsirivanich, Thailand's leading map connoisseur and author of Ayutthaya in
European Maps, studied International Relations at Warwick and Oxford Universities. He was ASEAN
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Research Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore and Visiting Fellow at the
Japan Institute of International Affairs. His interest in cartography began when he discovered an 18th
century French plan of Ayutthaya. Since then, he has devoted himself to collecting and researching
old European maps of Siam, sharing his knowledge through public lectures, interviews, articles and
books. Many have shown great interest in his expertise and the appreciation for the western
cartography of Siam has been considerably augmented.
Synopsis: The Land and Kingdom of Siam impinged largely on the Western imagination. It is
referred to in the classical literature as Aurea Regio, a Land of Gold. Khun Thavatchai will begin with
a rare text and maps which depict the kingdom as such. He will then retrace the development of
European mapping of Siam starting from the mid-15th century when the Kingdom was first depicted
on the Fra Mauro's world map, guiding us through various cartographic changes, and conclude with
Bartholomew's Burma and Farther India, the first map produced after the 1909 Anglo-Siamese
Treaty. European fascination with the kingdom and its cultures is clearly evident in the cartouches
and vignettes decorating many of the maps. In addition to their scientific and artistic values, these
maps are contemporary evidence of European contacts with Siam. Expect fascinating discoveries
including the famous mythical lake 'Lago de chiamay' (Chiang Mai Lake?). Fanciful bird's-eye views of
Ayudhya, Siam’s former capital, will also be featured. Throughout the presentation, the audience will
be exposed to, and hopefully captivated by, the diverse range of visual records of the Kingdom's
illustrated history.
Duration: 20 minutes
John Toomey, NMV member
Top 10 European Farang in Siam
Synopsis: American and, thus, impartial John Toomey took on the “hot seat”, along with two other
non-European sub-committee members, to organize and chair the election of the “Top Ten European
Farang in Siam/Thailand". The voting will take place during the morning of the NMV-Symposium by
all attendants and results will be announced before the end of the event. Every vote counts…
Duration: Two ten minute slots, totaling twenty minutes, plus one 5-10 minute session announcing
the results. (Total 30 minutes)
Representative Highlights from the European Collection of the
National Museum, Bangkok
John Toomey et al,
Duration: 10 minutes
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